The Audition A House of Night Fanfic
by Sofara Starfyre
Summary: This story takes place 10 years after Zoey was marked. She has since become a full fledged Vampyre. Loren Blake is not dead and The Nerd Herd are still together as friends.
1. Chapter 1

***Disclaimer: The story is my own, but I do not in any way, shape, or form own the characters Zoey "Redbird" Montgomery, Loren Blake or any other characters from the House of Night series nor do I own the quote from the tracker where he spoke to Zoey. They belong solely to Mrs. P.C. Cast & Miss Kristin Cast. This is simply my fanfic involving a relationship between Zoey and Loren that takes place 10 years after Zoey's being marked.* Credit for the title goes to my good friend Donna who also writes fan fics.**

**The Audition – Chapter 1**

It had been years since Zoey had graduated from the House of Night. She had had many memorable experiences and adventures there. Things that she never could have done as a human. Zoey was a vampyre. She had been marked as one at 16. She could still remember it as clear as if it were yesterday. The tracker had found her at school at the end of the day.

"Zoey Montgomery! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!", he said.

It had been 10 years since that fateful day. Zoey had chosen to become an actress since graduation. She had had many minor parts in theatrical productions off Broadway, and she eventually made it to Broadway. She was at a casting call for a new Broadway production when she met an old flame. He was Loren Blake.

Loren Blake was an unbelievably handsome vampyre who had loved Zoey during her time at the House of Night despite his being the poetry professor. He was the youngest Vampyre Poet Laureate at 35 years old. Not only was he a poet laureate, but he was also an actor. He had been in many movies and a few Broadway productions. He was also attending the casting call.

He had just come out of his audition for the male lead when he spotted her in the middle of the line waiting to audition for the female lead. She hadn't seen him as she was studying the script for the audition piece. He walked slowly toward her unsure whether he should interrupt her as she seemed engrossed in the script. But as quickly as the thought had come it was gone again because she had looked up from her script and had seen him there.

Zoey was surprised to see him since she had rarely seen anyone since graduation except her BFF Stevie Rae, although she kept in touch with Damien & Jack, "The Twins" Erin & Shaunee, and Stark regularly. Every summer since graduation, Zoey visited Stevie Rae in Nashville where she had gone to become a country singer. Loren and Zoey greeted each other with a short hug and a quick peck on the cheek. It had been 10 years since they'd seen each other even though they'd heard about the other's accomplishments through friends. Zoey and Loren chatted while Zoey was still waiting for her turn to audition. As the line grew shorter, Loren decided he had better let Zoey study her script again, so they exchanged numbers, and he promised to call her later.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Audition – Chapter 2**

Loren left Zoey waiting in line, and headed to the parking garage to get his car. It was cool outside and so he slipped his hands into the pockets of his black Corneliani double collar jacket, and felt the slip of paper with Zoey's number on it. He walked to his shiny black Mercedes-benz S550 sedan, and got in. He started the engine, paid his toll, and left the garage. As he drove home, he thought of a sweet line of poetry to recite for her. She had always love his poetry.

Zoey's felt her audition went well as she walked out of the building. She felt the cold and slipped her hands into the pockets of her short dark red Betsey Johnson coat. The slip of paper in her pocket made her anxious to get home. She couldn't wait to hear his voice again. She rushed to the parking garage and got into her 2007 blue Toyota Prius. Her 1966 robin's egg blue VW bug had died last year and as much as she had loved it, she wanted to find something that suited her needs and was a bit newer and easier to take care of, so when she found the Toyota Prius, she knew she had found the car for her.

Anxious as she was to get home, she fumbled a bit with the money to pay her toll before leaving the parking garage. As soon as she made it out onto the road however, the trip to her Jackson Heights apartment in Queens was smooth despite the later afternoon rush. Zoey made it home in record time, even with a quick stop at the local market to grab the few groceries she needed for the next couple days. She pulled into the parking garage across from her building, parked her car, gathered her groceries, and headed across the street to her building.

Zoey took the elevator up to her apartment on the 3rd floor, set the groceries down, found her key and unlocked the door. She grabbed up all her groceries and squeezed in the door, and closed it gently with her foot. She walked into the kitchen and set the groceries on the island counter. She slipped off her coat and hung it in the hall closet. Walking back to the kitchen, she stopped at the little table by the kitchen where she kept her phone and answering machine. She saw there were two messages on the machine and anxiously pressed the button.

The first was from the casting directors who had watched her audition earlier that afternoon. They wanted her to come for a second audition. The second message was an unknown number. The caller recited a piece of poetry that was one of Zoey's favorites. The Fairy Song by William Shakespeare. The poetic cadence of the voice left her little doubt who the message was from.

"Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire! I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere; And I serve the Fairy Queen, To dew her orbs upon the green; The cowslips tall her pensioners be; In their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favours; In those freckles live their savours; I must go seek some dewdrops here, And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear."

His silky sexy voice made her melt. It was as if he was right there reciting it for her. She was so breathless that it took a moment before she remembered she had to put away the groceries that she had brought home. As soon as she had finished putting her groceries away, she poured her daily glass of blood-laced red wine, got the slip of paper with Loren's number on it from her jacket pocket in the closet, settled down on the small sofa, and dialed the number.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Audition – Chapter 3**

Loren was in the kitchen making chicken parmesan with spaghetti for one. He was quite a cook especially for a single man. Most men wouldn't care about cooking, but Loren always loved cooking so he learned how at a young age. While he was cooking, the phone rang. Loren went to the phone and checked the caller id. He saw that it was Zoey, and answered on the second ring.

"Hello Zoey. How was your afternoon?" came the smooth silky voice.

"Hello Loren. I had a great afternoon. I got into my audition shortly after you left, and it went well. I received a call back for a second audition!" Zoey said.

"That's great Zoey. I also got a call back for a second audition. They want to see me tomorrow at 10." said Loren.

"Me too!" exclaimed Zoey.

"Maybe we could go out for lunch after our second auditions then?" said Loren.

"That sounds great Loren!" said Zoey excitedly.

"We'll meet up after our auditions and I'll take you to lunch then. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Good night Zoey." said Loren in his smooth, silky, sexy voice.

"Good night Loren." said Zoey, and with that she hung up the phone with a sigh.

Zoey and Loren both spent the rest of their evenings thinking of their lunch date the next afternoon. Zoey was excited and called Stevie Rae to tell her all about it. Stevie Rae was excited for Zoey, and wished her luck at her audition and on her date. Wanting to make a good impression for her first date with Loren, she called Damien and asked him to come over to help her choose the right outfit for her audition and date.

Twenty minutes later Damien & Jack were at her door. She invited them in and offered them both a glass of red wine and told them about her date too. Damien agreed to help Zoey find the right thing to wear. In the end they had chosen her favorite Holy Clothing sapphire butterfly flutter sleeve tunic, her favorite Holy Clothing black midnight Isabella skirt, her favorite black patent low heel Gabriella Rocha mary janes, and a silver chain lariat with black and silver grey pearls.

With her outfit picked out for the next day, Zoey invited Damien and Jack to stay for dinner since she was making tacos, and there would be more than enough. Damien and Jack agreed since it was one of their favorite meals. Over dinner they talked about Zoey's audition and how excited they all were about her second audition. As they all finished dinner Zoey offered Damien and Jack dessert. It was her special chocolate raspberry mousse. They gladly said yes since they knew it was good. She had made it for them before.

They enjoyed their dessert while watching Project Runway. When it was over Damien and Jack decided it was time to head home. Zoey quickly cleaned up the dinner and dessert dishes and headed for her bedroom. After washing her makeup off and putting on her night time moisturizer, she changed into her pajamas. After making sure her alarm was set for 6 am she climbed into bed. It was just after 10, so she decided to read the first chapter or two of her new book, Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris.

Zoey finished the first chapter and decided she was tired, so she marked her place and turned out the lamp. As she settled back into her pillows, she thought of her date the next day. Sleep found Zoey quickly and granted her sweet dreams. In her dream, she was standing on stage playing the part of the female lead with Loren Blake who was playing the male lead. They were doing the masquerade scene where the male lead professes his undying love for the female lead. At the end of the scene they kissed when she accepted his marriage proposal.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Audition – Chapter 4**

The buzzing of the alarm woke Zoey from her sweet dreams. A tad annoyed at the dream being interrupted, she got out of bed and turned off the alarm. She didn't stay annoyed for very long though. She saw her outfit hanging on the hanger as she walked to the bathroom, and that made her smile. She remembered her date with Loren today. Zoey made her way to the kitchen where her little coffee maker was already bubbling and perking away making her coffee.

She grabbed her favorite sapphire blue coffee mug, set it next to the coffee maker and went to the fridge to get out 2 eggs and the butter. Zoey popped 2 slices of white bread into the toaster and turned to her small stove. She pulled a pan from the small cabinet above the stove and put a small bit of butter in the pan to start melting. While the butter was melting, she whisked her eggs and poured her coffee, adding her favorite hazelnut creamer. With the butter melted, Zoey poured her eggs into the small pan and grabbed a plate and a fork. Her toast popped up and she buttered it and added a touch of cinnamon sugar for sweetness. The eggs finished and Zoey scooped them out onto her plate and sat down at the little island to eat.

As she ate her mind wandered. She thought of the second audition and how exciting it would be if she were chosen for the female lead. It would be her first leading role on Broadway. She had been in other Broadway productions, but never as the female lead, she was always a secondary character who helped the story move along. Her mind wandered to the date afterward. She wondered what they would do if anything besides have lunch. She wondered where Loren would take her.

Loren was also eating his breakfast which consisted of coffee with caramel creamer, a blueberry bagel with cream cheese, and eggs. As he ate his mind wandered to his audition and his date with Zoey. He was excited about the audition and the date. This would be his third lead role if he were chosen for this one. He let his mind wander as he thought of what to do with Zoey on their lunch date. Besides eating lunch, he wanted to take her somewhere where they could walk and talk. Broadway wasn't too far from Central Park he thought. He would take her there. With so many choices, it was hard to choose, but he remembered Zoey liked Italian food, and he thought of Osteria Del Circo in Midtown West. It was a bit pricey, but nothing was too good for Zoey.

Zoey finished her breakfast and went to grab the paper, which was outside her apartment door. She opened the door, grabbed the paper, and headed back to the kitchen to pour herself a second cup of coffee. She added more hazelnut creamer, and then with the paper in hand, she headed into the living room to read the newspaper and catch the morning news. As soon as she had finished the coffee and reading the paper, she went into her bedroom and changed into her favorite black yoga pants, and a light gray t-shirt. Back in the living room, she popped in her morning workout DVD.

After her workout, Zoey headed for the shower. She took her time, lingering in the hot water, letting it run over her body. It felt good and was helping her relax. When she was done, she threw on her bathrobe and wrapped her long black hair in a towel. Zoey headed back out to the living room with the audition script, and sat down to reread it and make sure she knew it so she would be flawless for the audition. As soon as she finished, she headed back to the bathroom, hung up the bathrobe and got dressed.

Careful not to get her top wet, Zoey quickly squeezed any excess water from her hair while it was still wrapped in the towel. Zoey hung up the towel and grabbed her blow dryer. She set it for medium heat and began to dry her thick hair. It didn't take long despite the thickness of her hair. As soon as it was dry, she found her favorite silver-gemmed leather pony tail holder with a black stick for keeping it in place. Zoey brushed her thick silky hair into a pony tail wrapped it with a thin elastic and put the pony tail holder in place. Her hair finished, she put on her daily moisturizer, a small amount of silvery eyeshadow over her lids, and a light pink tinted lip gloss, and finally the lariat. With one last glance in her full length mirror, Zoey was satisfied with what she saw, and headed for the closet to get her coat and her favorite silver clutch she always carried, and was out the door.

Meanwhile, Loren had also showered and picked out his clothes for the day. He chose simple dark grey pinstripe suit by Michael Kors, a light blue button-down shirt, and a dark grey and blue mini houndstooth patterned scarf to go with his black patent loafers. He slicked his black hair back, and with a satisfying look in the mirror, grabbed his favorite black double collared Cornelaini jacket and his keys, and was out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Audition – Chapter 5**

Zoey made it to the studio for the audition with 20 minutes to spare. While she waited to be called, she went over the script again to make sure she knew the lines. Loren arrived 5 minutes later, and they agreed to go through the lines together while they waited. Fifteen minutes went by quickly, and they were called into the room together for their second audition. They hadn't seen anyone else around for a second audition, and thought it was odd but they put it out of their minds. The casting directors chose the scene that would test their chemistry as an onstage couple. It was the scene where the male and female leads declare their love for each other.

Taking a moment to put themselves into character, they started the scene gazing at each other as the script said. In those few moments the casting directors disappeared, as did the room. To them it seemed that the room was empty and they spoke the lines and performed the scene perfectly. The scene ended in a kiss, and again, it was perfect. To the casting directors there was obvious chemistry between Zoey and Loren. To Zoey and Loren, the heat of the kiss was more than they thought it would be. The casting directors made their decision right there, and told Zoey and Loren that they were the male and female leads.

They thanked the directors profusely and walked out together, Loren holding the door open for Zoey. As the left, Loren told Zoey where they were going to Osteria Del Circo for lunch. She told him she'd never been there, but had heard good things about it. As the reached the front door of the studio, Loren held the door open for Zoey again. Since the second audition had only taken 45 minutes total, Loren suggested they walk through Central Park before going to lunch since it was still early. Zoey agreed and they crossed the busy street to Central Park. As they walked, they talked about what they'd been doing for the past 10 years. Before they knew it, 45 minutes had passed and both were hungry. They headed for Osteria Del Circo which was four blocks from the south side of the park on W. 55th Street.

When they got to the restaurant, they were greeted by the maitre d' and seated immediately. They spent a few minutes looking over the lunch menu before deciding that they would split an order of arugula salad with endive, apples, bacon, and blue cheese, and Tagiatelle alla Bolognese (wide pasta strips with meat sauce). Loren ordered a bottle of 2006 Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon to go with their lunch. They talked while they waited for the lunch which came quickly, for which they were thankful since they were rather hungry. They lingered over the salad while they continued to talk. Shortly their entrée arrived and they ate without saying much more. After lunch, they decided to have dessert, and chose the Crème Brulee La Cirque. After praising the chef for the fantastic meal, they left hand in hand and walked back through Central Park to the parking garage where they had parked. Loren walked her to her car, kissed her hand and departed for his own car.

Zoey wasn't sure how it was happened, but she was falling head over heals for Loren again. He was the most sweet and sexy man she'd ever met. Her head was swimming with thoughts of them together as she drove home. Loren drove to his condo on e. 78th street near Orwasher's Bakery. His head swam with ideas about seeing Zoey again. Since his drive home was short, he arrived home before Zoey. Before he even made it into his condo, he turned right back around and went to his car. On a whim, he drove to the nearest flower shop and had the florists make the most beautiful bouquet of purple flowers for Zoey. He knew that purple was her favorite color, and that she would love it. Using his BlackBerry Curve smartphone, he looked Zoey up in the white pages, and drove to her place on 80th street in Jackson Heights.


	6. Chapter 6

The Audition – Chapter 6

Zoey stopped at the market on the way home to pick up something for tonights dinner. While she wandered the aisles, she thought about inviting Loren for dinner. Since she wanted to impress him with her cooking skills, she decided to make chicken with orange sauce and orange pecan rice. Since she already had the orange juice at home, she got 2 free-range chicken breasts from the meat counter, a package of quick cooking long grain and wild rice mix, a small bag of chopped pecans, a small can of chicken broth, and a bag of mixed salad greens along with other veggies to put into the salad and a small box of fresh red raspberries from the produce section, a small carton of heavy cream from the dairy section and lastly she grabbed a small wedge of parmesan cheese from the deli for the salad. For dessert, she decided she would serve the chocolate raspberry mousse she had made the day before with sweetened whipped cream.

Loren pulled into the parking lot behind Zoey's building, glanced around looking for Zoey's car, and realized he had obviously made it there before her. So, he parked his black Mercedes-Benz S550 sedan in one of the available spaces and waited until he saw her blue Toyota Prius park a couple spots away. He decided he would wait and surprise her after she got upstairs rather than now in the parking lot. As she gathered up the groceries she bought, she thought she saw Loren's car parked a few spots away but she paid it no mind. Groceries in hand, she made her way to the front door, pulled it open and headed for the elevator up to the 3rd floor. As she got off the elevator she readied her key and made her way down the hall. Opening the door, she went straight to the kitchen to put the groceries and her clutch on the island counter, went to the answering machine to check for messages, and hung her coat in the hall closet. Just as she was making her way back to the kitchen, the buzzer for her apartment rang. She wondered who that could be, as she wasn't expecting anyone right now.

Turning around, she went back to the intercom by the door and asked who it was. Loren answered in his smooth, silky, sexy voice and Zoey immediately buzzed him in. As he made his way up to the 3rd floor, Zoey began running around the apartment making sure it was neat and orderly. Thankfully, it was, and she was at the door to greet him as he knocked. As she opened the door, she was surprised by the huge purple bouquet Loren had brought for her. She thanked him for the beautiful bouquet, and invited him in. Zoey went to the put the flowers on the island counter, and hurried back to Loren to take his coat and put it in the hall closet. As they walked to the kitchen, Zoey told him that she thought she'd seen his car but wasn't sure. He laughed lightly, and told her about the sudden desire to buy her flowers to surprise her. She told him about her wanting to make him dinner, and he gladly accepted her invitation.

Zoey offered Loren a drink which he gladly accepted. He took a seat at the island counter while she put away the groceries. After she finished putting away the groceries, she poured herself a glass of fresh fruit juice and invited Loren into the living room. They sat down on the love seat and started talking about their second audition. They talked about the scene they had been asked to do, and about the surprisingly sweet and intense kiss at the end of it. As they talked about it, Zoey's mind wandered back to the image of her and Loren kissing at the audition. Although the heat of the kiss had been more than they expected, neither Zoey nor Loren had considered spilling their feelings for each other, at least not yet anyway. But no sooner had the thought crossed Zoey's mind, then she opened her mouth and the words just rushed out like water over a broken damn.

"Loren, I think I love you! Your smooth, silky, sexy voice just makes me melt every time I hear it and I don't want to be without you again!" she said hurriedly.

Loren was stunned. He knew he was falling in love with her all over again, but he wasn't in a hurry to tell her. He had wanted her to decide for herself before he said anything. But all of a sudden, there was it plain as day... She loved him. Loren pulled his thoughts together quickly and then spoke.

"Zoey, I've loved you since I first saw you 9 years ago, and I never stopped even after I left the House of Night. You've been on my mind all this time in some form or another. I didn't want to tell you too soon and scare you off, but you've just put all that out of my mind with your sudden declaration of love." he said.

Now, it was Zoey's turn to be stunned. She had never known Loren had loved her all this time. Had she known, her declaration would have come much sooner. They both sat in silence for just a minute, both trying to gather their thoughts before speaking again. Neither could believe what they'd just heard. Loren was the first to speak again. He pulled a small box out of the pocket of his pant, and handed it to her as he spoke.

"Zoey, this is for you. It was my grandmother's ring and now I'm giving it to you with the promise that I will love you forever and that we will never be apart again."

Zoey was stunned by his words, and even more stunned when she finally lifted the lid of the box with her trembling fingers. Zoey gasped as the lid opened revealing the treasure held inside. Inside the box, was a beautiful engagement ring with a round faceted sapphire, and 6 diamonds, 3 on each side of the platinum crown setting nestled in white satin. Seeing she was speechless, Loren took the box from her and slid the ring on her all too important finger.


	7. Chapter 7

The Audition – Chapter 7

Zoey, still speechless with tears streaming down her face, couldn't make her mouth work right to thank Loren. The ring was beautiful, and she loved, but the words just wouldn't come to her right now. She did the only thing she could think of. She closed the short distance between their bodies, and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. Loren followed Zoey's lead and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back in the same manner. The heat of the kiss made them both feel as though the room were ablaze. Zoey, despite not wanting to break the kiss, remembered that dinner still hadn't been made.

"Thank you for the ring Loren. It is beautiful. Now how about some dinner?" she said after she broke their kiss.

Realizing now how hungry he was, Loren agreed that dinner would be great. Zoey walked into the kitchen with Loren hot on her heels, offering his help. Zoey started pulling the necessary ingredients for dinner from the fridge.

"Could you please get the large blue glass bowl above the sink and the glass baking dish under the cabinet beside the stove?" asked Zoey as she waved her hand in the general direction of the sink.

"Oh, and the colander too, you're going to need it to wash the lettuce and vegetables." she added in an afterthought.

Loren washed the vegetables, while Zoey put together the chicken and rice. Loren finished washing the vegetables and Zoey put the chicken and rice into the oven at the same moment. Washing her hands, she turned back to the island counter, got out a small cutting board and a knife for chopping the salad ingredients, and placed the salad bowl next to the cutting board. While Loren drained the vegetables, Zoey got out her large stainless steel mixing bowl, the beaters for her hand mixer and the cream from the fridge and put them all in the freezer so they could chill while she chopped the salad ingredients. As she worked, Loren couldn't help noticing the curve of Zoey's back while she stood chopping the vegetables. Suddenly he felt the urge to move behind her and place kisses on her neck and shoulders. He couldn't help rubbing his hands over her curvaceous hips and ass as she worked. Despite the added attention, Zoey managed to finish the salad.

Even though she would have rather let Loren continue his "work", she broke away to put the finished salad in the fridge. While getting the chilled bowl, beaters and cream from the freezer, Zoey asked Loren if he could get the peeler from the silverware drawer by the sink and peel some strips of parmesan from the wedge she had set on the counter. When the cream was finished, she got the chocolate mousse from the fridge and got 2 martini glasses from the rack on the counter and spooned a serving of the mousse into each glass and topped it with the sweetened cream and a few raspberries.

Satisfied with dessert, Zoey put it in the fridge and turned her attention to the orange sauce that would go over the chicken and rice. While it simmered away, she began finding the necessary dishes and silverware for setting the table. As Zoey set the items on the island counter, Loren took them and began setting the small Parisian Bistro style table with the square sapphire blue plates, blue wine glasses, and silverware with deep blue colored handles. Loren chuckled lightly at all the sapphire colored tableware.

"What's funny?" Zoey asked when Loren chuckled.

"It's just that I always thought your favorite color was purple, and yet you have several things that are sapphire colored rather than purple." Loren replied.

"Well, it's hard to find everything in shades of purple, so I went with the next best thing." said Zoey.

"Oh, well I guess you're right. Things don't always come in shades of purple, and blue is a very close second. I hadn't really thought about that." said Loren with a smile as he lit the tall silver taper candles on the table.

As if it were taking a cue from the pause in the conversation, the timer beeped to let them know that the chicken and rice was ready. Zoey stopped the timer's beeping, and grabbed two hot pads from over the stove before getting the chicken and rice from the oven. Loren took the wooden trivet from the wall above the stove and placed it on the counter and Zoey put the piping hot baking dish on it. Loren got the salad and dressing from the fridge, while Zoey went to the cupboard and got a small earthenware pitcher, poured the sauce into it, and they placed them on the counter.

Loren went to the table and grabbed both plates and brought them to the counter while Zoey got the blood-laced red wine from the wine rack in the fridge. While Loren put food on the plates, Zoey took the wine to the table. Before heading back to the counter, she slipped one of Enya's Only Time – The Collection CDs into the player on the shelf by the table. While the music flowed quietly through the speakers around the room, they made their way to the table with their plates. After pouring the wine, they ate mostly in silence while their eyes did the talking.

Each lost in their own thoughts and contented staring at the other, they sat enjoying their meal when Zoey's phone rang. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw the time. In all that had happened in the last two days she had totally forgotten that she always talked to Grandma Redbird around 7pm each week on Wednesday. Zoey excused herself from the table and half ran to answer the cordless phone which was on the small table by the kitchen door in the hall. Seeing the caller ID, Zoey had been right. It was indeed Grandma Redbird.

"Hi Grandma!" said Zoey excitedly.

"Hello Zoeybird. You sound happy this evening." said Grandma Redbird.

""Well Grandma I have some exciting news, but right now I am in the middle of dinner with an old friend. Can I call you back tomorrow morning so I can tell you all about it then?" asked Zoey.

"That's fine dear. I will be here. Enjoy the rest of your dinner. I love you Zoeybird." said Grandma.

"I love you too Grandma. I promise I will call you tomorrow!" said Zoey before she hung up.

She put the phone back on the charger base and went back to the table to finish her meal with Loren. They quickly finished what was left of their meal and while Loren cleared the table, Zoey got the dessert from the fridge. Placing a glass in front of each of them, Zoey sat back down and they talked about their plans for tomorrow as they ate their dessert.


	8. Chapter 8

The Audition – Chapter 8

After Zoey and Loren finished their desserts, Zoey turned off the cd player on the shelf and cleared the table while Loren finished his glass of wine. When the table was cleared, Zoey got her own glass from the table and they headed to the living room to talk more. As they set their glasses on the small coffee table in front of the couch, Loren swept Zoey into his arms as a slow waltz like number began to play through the speakers of the stereo that he had turned on with the remote on the table.

Taking her hand he led her out to the more open part of her living room and they danced as the soft slow waltz played. Zoey marveled at Loren's skill as he led through the waltz. He was amazingly graceful and skilled at dancing. While they waltzed in time to the music, they stared contentedly at each other as they had done at dinner. When the song ended, Loren led Zoey back to the couch and they sat down.

Since the casting directors for the production had told them that they wouldn't be needed for at least a few days while they casted the rest of the parts and that they would call them when they were ready for them, they knew they had some time to relax before they needed to begin rehearsals. They talked about their plans for moving in together, and how to tell everyone the good news. Loren's place was in a nice neighborhood, and they decided that Zoey should move there with him since it was also a little bit bigger than her apartment. She would miss her large walk-in pantry, it was a small price to pay for the larger kitchen she would have at Loren's place. After deciding that, they talked about how to announce their engagement, and decided that a party to celebrate their leading roles, would also be their engagement party. Zoey knew she wouldn't be able to keep her secret from Grandma Redbird when she called her tomorrow, so they agreed to tell her, but no one else until they got the party details worked out. Together, they decided that they would each take the next day to do their errands and clean their apartments in preparation for moving, and maybe see each other for dinner again that night.

After they had planned out their day tomorrow, Loren noticed the time and decided he'd better head home so they would both be fully rested for the busy day each would had ahead of them. Zoey walked with Loren to the door and got his coat for him from the closet. Once he had his coat on, he swept her into his arms, and with urgency they pressed their lips together passionately but gently as they hugged each other tightly. Reluctantly, they released each other and broke their kiss.

"Good night my sweet darling angel. Until the morrow..." Loren said in his silky smooth sexy voice, as he opened the door to leave.

"Good night Loren, I miss you already." Zoey answered as he walked toward the elevator.

She waited in the doorway as Loren waited for the elevator to open. Stepping in, he turned around and with a flourish of his hand, he blew her a kiss. She smiled as she caught it while the elevator doors closed. Once Loren was out of sight, she shut and locked the door and ran to the windows overlooking the parking lot to watch him leave. She got to the window as he was walking down the walk to his car. When he turned around to get in his car, he caught sight of her in the window, smiled, and blew her another kiss. Smiling back, she watched as he got into his car and drove away.

Still smiling to herself, Zoey went to the kitchen to put away any leftovers and clean up the dishes from dinner. Washing the dishes, she could not help but notice the sparkle of her ring in the light above the sink. It was so perfect and she couldn't help but smile as she rinsed the dishes and put them in the drying rack and continued cleaning the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Loren made his way home, his head swimming with thoughts of Zoey and their plans. The drive home was smooth since the hour was late enough that most people were either home or already out to the clubs and bars. Arriving home safely, he parked his car in the lot behind his condo, and made his way upstairs. Once inside locked the door and hung his coat in the closet. Closing the closet door, he made his way upstairs to his bedroom unbuttoning his shirt as he walked. Once he was in his bedroom, he kicked off his loafers, threw his blazer, belt, and scarf on the bed and threw his clothes into the laundry basket by the door. Loren decided to take a quick shower before heading to bed. Once out of the shower, he threw a towel around himself and walked back to his bedroom and carefully hung up his blazer, belt and scarf, and put away his loafers. Once dry, he put the towel in the laundry and climbed into his silk sheets and fell fast asleep.

Once the kitchen was clean, Zoey went made her way to her bedroom to change for bed. Pajamas on, she put her clothes into the laundry basket, put her shoes in the closet, and put away her lariat in the jewelry armoire. She then went to the bathroom to remove her make up and put on her night moisturizer. Finished with that, Zoey went back to her bedroom and changed her alarm for 8 am and climbed into bed to read another chapter or two of her book. Excited by what had happened tonight, Zoey breezed through 4 chapters of the book without realizing the time had flown by and it was now almost midnight. Marking her place at the end of chapter 5, she laid the book down and turned out the lamp.

Sleep once again found Zoey quickly and this time the sweet dreams it granted were of her wedding day. It was magnificent. Everything was perfect and it was all for her and Loren. Loren's dreams were filled with images of himself and Zoey making their life together.


	9. Chapter 9

The Audition – Chapter 9

The sound of his alarm woke Loren from the wonderful dreams he had been having about himself and Zoey. Reaching up on the headboard, he grabbed the clock and turned off the alarm. Putting the alarm clock back on the headboard, he smiled as he got out of bed and headed to his walk in closet to find his clothes for the day. Needing nothing dressy, he found his simple khaki slacks and a white turtleneck. Opening the dresser, he got out a clean pair of socks and boxers before heading into the bathroom to do his morning routine and get dressed.

Once dressed for the day, he made way to the kitchen for his morning coffee. Finding a cup, he poured himself a cup, and got 2 eggs from the fridge and some bread from the bread box. Deciding to make scrambled eggs, he found a small pan and put it on the stove to heat while he scrambled the eggs. Once the eggs were cooking, he put the bread in the toaster and got a plate and a fork. Timed perfectly, the eggs and toast were done at the same time. Spreading a small amount of blueberry jam on his toast, he sat down to eat his breakfast before starting his errands for the day.

Meanwhile, Zoey's alarm sounded bringing her out of her sweet dreams. Reaching over to the nightstand, she turned off the alarm. She smiled as she remembered her dreams last night and bounced out of bed to get ready for a new day. Going to her closet, she found a simple pair of dark navy jeans and a purple ¾ sleeve tunic. From her dresser she grabbed a pair of sock, underwear and a bra. Gathering her clothes, she walked into the bathroom and began her morning routine.

Dressed and ready to face the day, she walked to the kitchen to get her coffee with hazelnut creamer and make breakfast. Today she decided to have cereal, so she got out a bowl and spoon. Grabbing the milk and some strawberries from the fridge, she put them on the counter and went to the pantry to get her favorite cereal. To her irritation, she found that there were no Rice Krispies on the shelf, so she settled for her second favorite, Corn Chex. Pouring a bowl, she closed the box and set it on the counter and poured milk on her cereal. Quickly she put the milk back and sat down to eat her breakfast.

Once breakfast was over, she quickly put away the dishes from the night before and washed her breakfast dishes and put away the cereal and the rest of the strawberries. Seeing that it was now 9, she figured now would be a good time to call Grandma Redbird. Grabbing the phone, she dialed Grandma's number and went to sit back down at the island in the kitchen to have a second cup of coffee while they talked.

"Hello Zoeybird. How are you this morning?" came Grandma's voice.

"I am fine Grandma. How about you?" said Zoey.

"I am good. Now what's this exciting news you have for me?" asked Grandma.

"Well Grandma, I ummm...well I've actually got 2 exciting things to tell you!" said Zoey excitedly. "First, I got the leading female role in the Broadway production I auditioned for. And second, well...I...I got engaged last night."

Surprised, Grandma stammered a bit as she spoke, "Zoey...That's fantastic news. Congratulations on both! Now who's the lucky man?"

"I don't know if you remember me telling you a Loren Blake a long time ago, but when I went to audition for the play, he was there just coming out of his own audition for the male lead. We talked for a few minutes and exchanged numbers." Zoey said.

"I do remember him Zoey. You two haven't seen each other in quite a long time. You only just auditioned a couple days ago...how did this happen so fast? Not that I am not happy for you, I just want to make sure you know what you're doing." said Grandma.

"Well, we both got called for second auditions, and both got cast as the male and female lead, and the scene they tested our chemistry with made us realize that there was still something there and things progressed from there!" said Zoey. "I know it seems sudden, but Grandma, I told him I loved him last night and he told me he loved me too and the next thing I knew, there was a ring box in my hand with his grandmother's ring in it!"

"Oh Zoeybird, I am so happy for you! I am glad you found someone worthy of you. When will I meet him?" said Grandma.

"Well Grandma, we are planning a party to celebrate our leading roles, and we plan to announce our engagement then too, and you are the only one that knows about both of those things right now, so please don't say anything to anyone else." said Zoey.

"I won't Zoeybird. I need to go now. I am meeting a friend at 11 for some shopping and I still need to get ready to go. You let me know when this party is as soon as it's settled so I can be there! Good bye Zoeybird, I love you." Grandma said.

"I love you too Grandma. Have fun shopping. I will talk to you again soon!" Zoey said excitedly.

With that they hung up and Zoey rinsed out her coffee cup and put it in the sink. Turning off the coffee pot, she glanced at the clock. It was almost 9:30 already. Zoey decided that with so much to do, she would skip her shows this morning, so she headed for the closet to get her coat and her small purse. Grabbing her keys on the way out, she put on her coat and headed out the door. Before getting into her car, she took her cellphone out of her pocket and put it in her purse so she could answer it easily in case someone called.

Inside the car, Zoey turned the key in the ignition and the engine came to life. Quickly, she tuned in her favorite station while the car warmed up a bit. With a now warm car and her favorite music playing, she drove to the local department store to pick up some plastic storage totes, cardboard boxes, and packing tape to pack her things up in. After paying for her purchases, she headed out to her car. Her phone jingled like it always did when she had a text message as she loaded the boxes into her car. Quickly she got them into the car and pulled out her phone while she pushed the cart back to the cart corral. Flipping it open she went to her mail box to pick up her new text message. It was from Loren.

She walked slowly as she read it. "I went to the management office this morning and got you a parking sticker for your car so that you can park in the lot at the building here. Call you later my Sweet Darling Angel. Love, Loren".

She walked back to her car and got it started before texting him back. "Thanks for getting the sticker for me. I went out to get some boxes for packing and will be home soon. Love you, Zoey". After hitting the send button, she flipped her phone shut and turned around to put it in the boxes in the back seat.

Zoey headed home to get busy cleaning and packing. Arriving safely, she unloaded the boxes and headed into the building only stopping quickly to pick up her mail. Stuffing the mail in the boxes, she headed for the elevator. As she got off the elevator she got her keys ready to unlock the door. Once inside, she closed and locked the door, took the boxes to the kitchen and went back to hang up her coat and purse in the closet. Zoey decided to get a glass of juice before starting her cleaning, so she quickly put away her breakfast dishes and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. Opening the fridge, Zoey her favorite strawberry mango juice and poured a glass. After putting it back in the fridge, she sat down at the island with a small notepad and pencil she always left there for notes. While she sipped at her juice, she made a list of the things she needed to do before she moved out.

Meanwhile, Loren had been working on cleaning up his bathroom and kitchen. Noticing that his laundry basket was getting full, he grabbed the basket and the detergent and fabric softener from the cabinet under the bathroom sink and headed for the laundry room on the first floor of the building. After starting the laundry, he set the timer on his phone for 15 minutes so he could come down and change the laundry into the dryer. Loren headed back upstairs to organize his closet some to make room for Zoey's clothes and her dresser. while he waited for the washing machine to be done. When 15 minutes was up he changed over his laundry into the dryer and went back upstairs to clean the kitchen and clean out the fridge. Once Loren's work was done, he decided to head over to Zoey's place to help her clean and pack so that it would be done sooner. Grabbing his keys and coat, he headed out the door. He decided to stop and pick up some boxes and some chinese food for lunch.

Zoey finished her list and her juice and set to work packing her books, movies, games, and her game system since she wouldn't be needing them for now. It took a couple boxes to empty the shelves, and once she was done, she grabbed another 2 boxes and headed for her bedroom to start packing her closet, leaving only a few items she would need for the next day. The time flew by and before she knew it was almost noon. Zoey decided to take a break and also call the management office for her apartment building to let them know she would be moving out in a few days, and that her apartment would be cleaned fully before she left. The management office was fine with that, and just needed her to come in the next day to sign the papers releasing her from her lease. As soon as she hung up the phone, there was a knock at her door. Answering the door, she found Loren standing there with lunch and more boxes in hand.


	10. Chapter 10

The Audition – Chapter 10

"I come bearing gifts... Can I come in?" Loren said with a smile.

Moving quickly out of the way, Zoey let Loren in and shut the door behind him. Loren put the chinese food on the counter and the boxes on the floor before turning around and grabbing Zoey up in a huge bear hug. Wrapping her arms around Loren, Zoey pressed her lips to his. The kiss was short but just as intense as their first a few days ago. Releasing their hold on each other, Zoey headed into the kitchen to get plates, silverware, and glasses while Loren put the food on the table and got the cola from the fridge.

Putting the plates, glasses, and silverware on the table, Zoey turned on the CD player that still had an Enya CD in it and sat down to eat. Eager to get back to packing and cleaning, they didn't talk much except a few things about what each had done that morning and what they would do after lunch to speed the process up. Soon they were finished and were back to work getting things taken care of.

After a quick clean up of the dishes and the trash from the food, Zoey and Loren grabbed 2 boxes each and headed into the living room where Loren set to packing up the things on Zoey's desk while she continued on to her bedroom to start packing up her clothes. Not long after they started working, the phone rang and Loren grabbed it since he was stacking a box next to the table that held the cordless phone.

"Zoey Redbird's residence, this is Loren, how can I help you?

"I am Officer Tiberius Salazar of the Tulsa Police Department. I am calling about Mrs. Sylvia Redbird. Is Zoey Redbird available?"

"Just one minute I will get her." said Loren. Placing his hand over the receiver, he called for Zoey telling her the phone was for her.

Quickly rushing from the bedroom to the living room to take the call, she looked at Loren with a puzzled look. He mouthed the words Tulsa PD as he handed her the phone.

"Zoey Redbird speaking. How may I help you?"

"Miss Redbird, I am Officer Tiberius Salazar with the Tulsa Police Department. I am calling because Mrs. Sylvia Redbird has been in an accident. We found your number listed in her cell phone as an emergency contact."

"Grandma Redbird! What happened? Is she alright?" asked Zoey with a quavering voice as she leaned against Loren for support.

"Mrs. Redbird will be fine but she is being taken to the hospital. She was hit by a person who was speeding as she crossed the street. I am going to hand you over to the paramedics who are taking care of your Grandmother, Miss Redbird."

"Thank you Officer Salazar."

"Hello Miss Redbird, I am Medic Philips. I am taking care of your Grandmother. Does she have any allergies to medications that you know of or have any conditions we should know about?"

"She's not allergic to anything that I know of. She does have mild arthritis in her hands but other than that she is healthy. What's wrong with my Grandma?"

"She has appears to have a broken hip and a broken leg. We are taking her to St. Johns where they can exam her thoroughly and take care of her.."

"Thank you Medic Philips. Could I please speak with my Grandma?"

"Mrs. Redbird is a bit shaken, but you can speak with her."

"Hello Zoeybird. My leg and hip appear to be broken, but I will be alright."

"Oh Grandma! I wish I was there with you, then I would take care of you!"

"I will be fine Zoeybird. Don't you worry about me. You focus on your packing and moving."

"Alright Grandma. I will be thinking about you! You get better! I love you!"

"I will Zoeybird. I love you too!"

Still leaning against Loren for support, Zoey replaced the cordless handset on the charger base. Turning around she sank into Loren's strong arms and started crying. Scooping her up in his arms, Loren carried Zoey to the couch and sat with her stroking her hair as she cried.

"I could have lost her" she said through the sobs. Loren held her close and whispered in her ear that everything would be alright.

"How do we know? She's all I have since my mother and the step-loser are no longer a part of my life! I can't stand it if I lose her Loren." said Zoey through choked sobs. "I have to go to her. I have to see with my own eyes that she is ok before I will stop worrying!"

"If that's what you want to do my Darling Love, then I will help you do that. I will even go with you if you want me to. We can fly out in a few hours if you want to go tonight. Just tell me what you want to do and I will help you do it." said Loren.

"I want to see her and I will leave as soon as I can." Zoey said as she hurried to grab her small suitcase from the closet in her room. Loren followed her. "Did you want me to come with you?" he asked as he helped her gather clothes.

"I would like that very much" said Zoey as she continued to pack the small suitcase. Rushing into the bathroom, to grab her toothbrush and other bathroom things, she realized most of it was packed away in the boxes for moving. She decided that she would just get new when they got to Tulsa. Quickly zipping the filled suitcase shut, and hurrying out to the living room, she found Loren on his blackberry making the necessary arrangements for their flight and rental car. Zoey quickly pulled out her own phone and called the management office for her apartment building and told them that she would be taking an emergency trip to Tulsa and that she would need more time before she was ready to move. They told her that they could give her an extra week. She said she would be back before then and thanked them before ending the call and dialing the number for Damien and Jack.

Damien answered quickly and Zoey explained what had happened and asked if he and Jack would be willing to keep an eye on her place for her while she was gone and maybe pack a few more boxes for her while she was gone. Damien agreed and hoped that Grandma Redbird would be alright. Zoey thanked him and ended the call. When she did, Loren already had her suitcase in hand and was ready to go. Heading for the door, Zoey grabbed their coats and her purse from the closet as well as her keys from the hook by the door before locking the door and heading out. Loren drove since he would have to run home and pack a small suitcase as well.

Hurrying through the packing, they were out of his apartment in no time and on their way to Laguardia Airport. The flight was smooth and thankfully there were no hassles. When they arrived in Tulsa it was too late to see Grandma Redbird that day, so they found a hotel and stayed there for the night. Zoey decided that she would wait to call Grandma Redbird until morning and she and Loren found a small restaurant near their hotel to have dinner. Dinner was a quiet affair with Zoey lost in thought worried about her Grandma. Once they finished dinner, Loren and Zoey headed to a small drugstore around the corner from the restaurant and bought new travel toiletries since neither had packed any.


	11. Chapter 11

The Audition – Chapter 11

Hand in hand they walked back to the hotel from the drugstore. The air was mild in spite of the fact that it was late February. As the moon's light shown down on them Zoey realized she hadn't even taken notice of the full moon's approach on the calendar in all the events of recent weeks. She looked up at the moon and saw that it was full tonight. She thought briefly about skipping her full moon ritual this month, but quickly decided that she wouldn't since it was important to her as she needed a good calming influence right now, and they had always been a source of calm for her. She thought she had seen some things at the drugstore that she could use instead of her normal ritual things, so she told Loren that she needed to go back to the store for some things she had forgotten and the he could head back to the hotel without her if he wanted. He decided he would walk back to the store with her.

They walked quickly back to the store, so Zoey could take full advantage of the full moon's light. Grabbing a basket from beside the door, they walked the aisles finding the things Zoey needed. Zoey found everything she needed, even some small individual votive candles in the appropriate colors for each element. They were even scented with scents that closely represented each element. A clean cotton smell for Air, a cinnamon scent for Fire, a slightly crisp slightly salty smell for Water, an earthy pine scent for Earth, and a light flowery scent for Spirit. Her basket full with everything she needed, Zoey and Loren headed to the counter. Zoey grabbed a small lighter from the display by the cash register and put it with the rest of the items on the counter while Loren put the basket back. The clerk gave them an odd look but didn't say anything as he rang up the items. As the clerk bagged her purchases, she swiped her bank card through the card machine to pay.

Zoey took the bag and thanked the clerk as they headed out the door. Taking Loren's hand again, Zoey thought about her ritual, while Loren thought about what he might do to raise Zoey's spirits as they walked in silence back to the hotel. Back at the hotel, being the ever perfect gentleman, Loren opened the door for Zoey and let her in first. Zoey put the bag with her ritual supplies on the bed and hung up her coat on the clothes rack by the bathroom while Loren put the toiletries in the bathroom. Looking around the room for a good spot to do her ritual, Zoey saw that there was a small balcony and that the moon was shining down right on it.

Zoey slowly dumped the ritual items onto the bed so as not to break any of the candles or the square glass plate they would sit on. Carefully Zoey arranged the candles on the plate so they sat in the order they would be lit and snipped the wicks so they would burn evenly during the ritual. Loren, who had been putting the toiletries in the bathroom, walked out into the room and asked Zoey if he could join her for her ritual. She gladly agreed and together they grabbed their coats from the rack near the door. Her coat on, Zoey grabbed the plate with the candles and the lighter from the bed and walked to the balcony door where Loren was already waiting for her. He opened the door for her and she carefully stepped out onto the balcony and set the plate of candles on a small plastic table that was near the lounge chairs and moved the small table to the center of the balcony.

Picking up the lighter, Zoey raised her hands, palms up to the sky and spoke with a melodic tone.

"I call upon you Air. You are taken in with the first breath of life, so it is only fitting that you are the first element called. Come to me Air!"

With a flick of the lighter, Zoey lit the yellow candle as the wind gusted around her and Loren like a tamed but playful tornado. Raising her hands to the sky and speaking in the same melodic tone again Zoey spoke the words to summon fire.

"I call upon you Fire. You keep us warm from the cold and provide us light in the darknes. Come to me Fire!"

With another flick of the lighter, Zoey lit the red candle and they were surrounded by a warmth and a reddish orange glow that only comes from fire. Zoey repeated the process to summon water.

"I call upon you Water. You are a perfect balance to Fire just as Loren is a perfect match for me. Come to me Water!"

Zoey smiled at Loren as they were surrounded by the sound and smells of the the sea as the lighter sparked the wick of the blue candle to life. Repeating the summoning process, Zoey continued on to summon earth.

"I call upon you Earth. You give us a home and support and nurture us. Come to me Earth!"

The green candle sparked to life and Zoey and Loren were instantly surrounded by the scent of fresh grass and wildflowers. They smiled briefly and Zoey continued on to summon the final element of her circle, spirit.

"I call upon you Spirit. You make each and every person and thing unique. You give us courage and strength and you remain even when our bodies are gone. Come to me Spirit!"

As Zoey touched the lighter to the purple candle, both she and Loren were filled with peace and joy as Spirit made itself known. Setting down the lighter, Zoey noticed that her candles were connected by a faint shining thread of light. Smiling, she again raised her hands, palms up, to the sky.

"Nyx, I come to you this full moon with happiness, worry, and hope. So much has happened since my last ritual. I need your guidance to handle it all. My heart is happy and worried at the same time and I don't know how long I can keep going like this. I am the happiest I've been in a long time since Loren has asked me to be his wife, but my heart is worried as well that my Grandma might not be in as good a shape as she makes it seem right now. My heart is also filled with hope that Grandma Redbird pulls through her accident and surgery and also that Loren's and my relationship stays strong and helps us get through our new roles in the production we auditioned for. I ask you to help us get through these things and strengthen us. Blessed Be!"

Zoey put her hands on her knees and bent down to kneel on the balcony and was about to extinguish the candles when she heard a voice the voice of Nyx in her head.

"I am always with you to guide you u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya, and I will continue to guide you so long as you are faithful and follow me. While your heart is full with happiness, worry and hope, it need not be so filled with worry. Your grandmother will be fine. She is a strong woman. Your relationship with Loren will be strengthened as you work through these things together and continue to follow your heart as you always do. Blessed Be!"

Pleased with the answer she had received from Nyx, Zoey whispered a thank you and blew out the 5 candles on the plate. Rising to her feet, she tucked the lighter into her pocket and carefully picked up the plate of candles and turned to face Loren who was waiting for her at the door. Carefully carrying the plate of candles inside, she set the plate on the short wide dresser that held the television and took off her coat and hung it back on the rock near the door out to the hall. Turning back toward the bed where the suitcases were, she smiled at Loren who was hanging up his own coat on the rack. Moving around him, she went to her suitcase and lifted it onto the bed to find her pajamas so she could shower and do her nightly routine. Kicking off her shoes by the dresser as she walked by, Zoey headed into the bathroom.

After closing the door, Zoey placed her pajamas on the side of the sink and turned on the water in the tub to let it warm up while she undressed. Zoey leaned forward and put her hand under the water to test the temperature and decided it was just right. Leaving the clothes piled on the floor, she stepped into the shower and turned on the spray. She stood in the warm spray of water for quite a while relishing the way the warm water felt as it ran down her body. It felt as thought it were washing away the worry and making way for the feelings of love and happiness she felt to come through even more. She didn't have a waterproof watch, so she had no idea how long she stood there but decided it was time to wash up. Almost methodically she found her soap and began washing her body. She took her time making sure she washed thoroughly. Placing the soap back on the holder, she reached for her shampoo and conditioner to wash her hair.

Meanwhile, Loren had come up with an idea of how to raise Zoey's spirits. He knew she would be a while in the shower and so he slipped his jacket back on and slipped out the door quickly and quietly. Once he was out the front door of the hotel, he quickly used the power he had to conceal himself in shadow and darkness so he could move quickly without detection. Making his way down to the small 24 hr. drugstore again, he removed the concealment as he got to the door and walked in. He quickly made his way around the store getting some small pink and white candles that were scented like roses and vanilla along with a few medium sized pillar candles in the same colors and scents, and also a small bottle of mint scented massage oil and lube as well as a box of condoms should his idea lead to something more.

Quickly making his way to the check out counter to pay for his purchases, he grabbed a small box of chocolates from a display near the counter and put the items on the counter. The cashier was surprised to see him again for the third time tonight and winked at him when he saw what Loren was buying, but said nothing. Loren pulled out his bank card and quickly swiped it through the machine while the cashier bagged the purchases. Loren thanked him and left, quickly calling the concealment back to him so he could move much more quickly back to the hotel. He arrived back at the hotel in record time. It had been barely 15 minutes since he had left. He quickly and quietly entered the room and hung his jacket on the rack. Hearing the shower still on, he quickly set to work placing the candles around the room and lighting them. Just as he placed the small box of chocolates on her pillow, he heard the shower stop and knew Zoey was almost done. He quickly zippered her suitcase and placed it back by his own which he grabbed up as he kicked his shoes off by the dresser next to Zoey's. He quickly unzipped his suitcase and found his silk boxers that he normally slept in and undressed leaving his clothes in a pile next to the bed and slipped on his own pajamas. Zippering his suitcase he placed it back with Zoey's he flipped the lights off so that only the glow of the candles lit the room. As the bathroom door opened, he laid down on the bed to wait for Zoey.


End file.
